Sunday, 29 January 2017

Four botanists met at Watlington Hill (SU79) on a cold but bright morning last Sunday, 22nd January, to explore the nearby Lower Deans Wood. The focus of the meeting was bryophytes, but vascular plants were also recorded. This is an account of what was found.

Friday, 20 January 2017

I've been thinking about gaps in record coverage of certain habitats or groups of plants in Oxfordshire, and this post is about one I believe exists — big roads. Future posts will cover other under-recorded areas. These posts will mostly cover non-native or other human-derived elements of our flora, and that these represent gaps perhaps suggests that Oxfordshire is a more conservation-focused county. Of course this is a good thing, but aliens also tell stories and make the human environment more interesting even if we'd wish they weren't there as conservationists.

Wednesday, 4 January 2017

Today was the last opportunity to take part in the BSBI's New Year Plant Hunt - a national hunt for wild plants in flower between 1st and 4th January. To my shame I didn't get round to organising an 'official' Oxfordshire New Year Plant Hunt, and so with time running out to take part I dashed out this afternoon to see what I could find flowering in the allotted three hours around the parish of Islip where I live. If you also took part in Oxfordshire do share what you found via the comments box below.

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Frogbit, RSPB Otmoor

About OxBot

OxBot exists to promote and support the activities of Oxfordshire botanists in plant recording and conservation. It is envisaged that the blog will feature accounts of local meetings, notable botanical finds, conservation work on the county's threatened plants and habitats, integration with national recording schemes such as the BSBI Atlas 2020, and conceivably any other issue touching on green things living in Oxfordshire. Resources to assist recording are also available.

The page is run by the vascular plant recorder for the vice county of Oxfordshire, David Morris, but all local botanists and other naturalists are very welcome to contribute. If you would like to share something with the community please email david.m.morris1989@gmail.com to become a contributor.